Ex-boyfriend thought woman was with other man, then shoots her son, FL cops say
On Aug. 12, the Bay County Sheriff's Office announced the arrest of 32-year-old Sammie Lee Underwood III three days after the shooting.
Underwood's ex-girlfriend told deputies Underwood met her and her two kids at a seafood restaurant in Callaway Aug. 9, then 'he became upset as he believed she had another man in the vehicle with her,' according to the arrest affidavit.
She denied it, but he was 'extremely irate' and didn't believe her, deputies said. The woman then grabbed her son and daughter and left in her car.
Underwood started chasing them in his SUV and tried to run them off the road while firing off shots, the woman recounted, according to the affidavit.
Underwood eventually pulled up next to her and shot out the window at her car, then the woman said her 7-year-old son started screaming in the back seat, investigators said.
She fled Underwood again, but this time he didn't follow her, deputies said. She drove to her sister's, then the sister drove them to a hospital, according to investigators.
The boy was shot in the shoulder, then the bullet lodged in his back, according to the sheriff's office. He's recovering from the injury.
Law enforcement found Underwood's SUV abandoned, but they searched for Underwood himself for two days before they spotted him leaving an apartment and getting in a vehicle, deputies said.
They followed him and conducted a 'vehicle take-down,' then during his arrest he was found to have an array of drugs with him, the Bay County Sheriff's Office said.
Underwood is charged with:
Four counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weaponAggravated battery with a deadly weapon Discharging a firearm from a vehicle Discharging a firearm into an occupied conveyanceHit and run, leaving the scene of an accident Tampering with evidence Grand theft of a firearm Felon in possession of a firearm Possession of fentanyl, hydrocodone, OxyContin, methamphetamine and marijuana less than 20 grams
Investigators said they also learned a woman had given Underwood a ride after the shooting and helped him get rid of the gun. She's charged with accessory after the fact to a second-degree felony, violation of probation and possession of marijuana less than 20 grams.
Callaway is a suburb of Panama City in the Panhandle.
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Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Miami Herald
Ex-boyfriend thought woman was with other man, then shoots her son, FL cops say
A man thought his ex-girlfriend was with another man, then he chased her car down and shot her 7-year-old son in the back seat, Florida authorities said. On Aug. 12, the Bay County Sheriff's Office announced the arrest of 32-year-old Sammie Lee Underwood III three days after the shooting. Underwood's ex-girlfriend told deputies Underwood met her and her two kids at a seafood restaurant in Callaway Aug. 9, then 'he became upset as he believed she had another man in the vehicle with her,' according to the arrest affidavit. She denied it, but he was 'extremely irate' and didn't believe her, deputies said. The woman then grabbed her son and daughter and left in her car. Underwood started chasing them in his SUV and tried to run them off the road while firing off shots, the woman recounted, according to the affidavit. Underwood eventually pulled up next to her and shot out the window at her car, then the woman said her 7-year-old son started screaming in the back seat, investigators said. She fled Underwood again, but this time he didn't follow her, deputies said. She drove to her sister's, then the sister drove them to a hospital, according to investigators. The boy was shot in the shoulder, then the bullet lodged in his back, according to the sheriff's office. He's recovering from the injury. Law enforcement found Underwood's SUV abandoned, but they searched for Underwood himself for two days before they spotted him leaving an apartment and getting in a vehicle, deputies said. They followed him and conducted a 'vehicle take-down,' then during his arrest he was found to have an array of drugs with him, the Bay County Sheriff's Office said. Underwood is charged with: Four counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weaponAggravated battery with a deadly weapon Discharging a firearm from a vehicle Discharging a firearm into an occupied conveyanceHit and run, leaving the scene of an accident Tampering with evidence Grand theft of a firearm Felon in possession of a firearm Possession of fentanyl, hydrocodone, OxyContin, methamphetamine and marijuana less than 20 grams Investigators said they also learned a woman had given Underwood a ride after the shooting and helped him get rid of the gun. She's charged with accessory after the fact to a second-degree felony, violation of probation and possession of marijuana less than 20 grams. Callaway is a suburb of Panama City in the Panhandle.
Yahoo
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The family of a motorcyclist who died after a crash involving two cars have said he was a "devoted father" who had "cheeky charm and enthusiasm for life". Steven Morris, 38, was taken to hospital with serious injuries after the crash in Alfreton Road, Underwood, Nottinghamshire, on Sunday and died a short time later, despite the efforts of emergency workers. Mr Morris's family described him as "a family man" who "touched so many lives". Nottinghamshire Police said officers were called just before 20:00 BST and issued an appeal for anyone who saw any of the vehicles involved - a Harley Davidson motorcycle, a Volvo V90 and a Bentley Brooklands - before the crash. In a statement, Mr Morris's family said: "We are so desperately heartbroken and devastated at the loss of our beloved Steven, known to those closest as Mo, who has been taken much too soon at the tender age of 38. "We were incredibly fortunate to have called him our Steven and he will be loved always. "We would like to thank all the emergency services and members of public present at the scene who helped Steven, it means a lot to know you were there." Det Con Andrew Fawcett, of the force's serious collision investigation unit, confirmed Mr Morris's family were being supported by specially trained officers as an investigation into the crash continued. "We know this has been a huge shock and very difficult time for Mr Morris's family as they try to come to terms with their loss," he added. Follow BBC Nottingham on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. More on this story Motorcyclist dies after crash with two cars Related internet links Nottinghamshire Police
New York Post
16-07-2025
- New York Post
New text messages fuel Alex Murdaugh's push for new trial
Newly uncovered text messages between disgraced former attorney Alex Murdaugh and his alleged drug dealer could have dramatically altered the defense's trial strategy and possibly prevented a conviction, according to lead defense attorney Dick Harpootlian. Harpootlian, a veteran South Carolina defense attorney and former state senator, told Fox News Digital that the texts between Murdaugh and Curtis 'Eddie' Smith, revealed recently by FITSNews, were not provided to the defense during the trial. Advertisement Their absence, he said, may have contributed to a key decision not to call Smith to the stand. 'One of the big decisions in any trial like this is who you call as witnesses,' Harpootlian explained. 'We were not aware of these texts. Had we been, it may have made a difference in our decision. These messages offer new insight into the timeline of drug distributions, some of them happening the very week of the murders.' 13 Newly uncovered text messages between disgraced former attorney Alex Murdaugh and his alleged drug dealer could have possibly prevented a conviction. serinc 13 Alex Murdaugh gives testimony during his murder trial at the Colleton County Courthouse, Feb. 23, 2023. AP Advertisement Smith, alleged to have been Murdaugh's primary drug supplier, has not been prosecuted, despite what Harpootlian described as evidence suggesting he may have been one of the largest OxyContin distributors in the Palmetto state. 'Everybody else who was indicted pleaded guilty — except Eddie Smith,' he said. The text messages show that Smith and Murdaugh conversed in the days leading up to Murdaugh's murder of his wife Maggie and his youngest son, Paul, on June 7, 2021, on their family's hunting estate in Colleton County, South Carolina. Advertisement 'Hey Brother i need to come get the chech (sic) you got one with you or are you going to be around later,' Smith texted Murdaugh on June 3, four days before the slayings. Murdaugh replied that he would be back that afternoon and that he 'had to deal with some bulls**t this morning.' 13 Alex Murdaugh, right, confers with defense attorney Jim Griffin during his double murder trial. AP 13 A headstone was recently erected for Randolph Murdaugh III and Elizabeth Alexander next to the grave markers for Paul and Maggie Murdaugh at Hampton Cemetery. Daniel William McKnight Advertisement 13 South Carolina Department of Corrections inmate Alex Murdaugh. AP 'Ok Brother just give me a holler,' Smith texted, later adding, 'Leaving the house now.' The day before the murders, Murdaugh texted Smith, 'Call me back.' Within a span of two minutes the morning after the murder, Smith texted Murdaugh, 'Tell me what I heard is not true,' and, 'Call me please.' Those texts went unreturned, and around 6:30 p.m., and Smith cryptically texted Murdaugh, 'At fishing hole.' After that message also went unreturned, he texted, '803 *** **13 it will not go through on my phone.' 'Those texts, the ones we don't have, indicate a little more of the timeline of those distributions, and some of them are the week of the murder,' Harpootlian said. 'And we were not aware of those. Had we been aware of these, it may have made a difference in our decision not to call Eddie Smith to the stand.' He also expressed concern that Smith had not been prosecuted for his alleged role in selling drugs to Murdaugh. Advertisement 13 The day before the murders, Murdaugh texted Smith, 'Call me back.' TNS 13 Disbarred attorney Alex Murdaugh arrives in court in Beaufort, South Carolina. AP 13 Defense attorney Dick Harpootlian holds Buster Murdaugh's .300 Blackout rifle, similar to the one used to kill Buster Murdaugh's mother during double murder trial. AP 'And he has not been prosecuted. [He's] wandering the streets, I heard maybe out of the state, and we're perplexed why Eddie Smith has been given this preferential treatment when once Alex was convicted, there was no reason not to go ahead and prosecute him,' said Harpootlian. 'Everybody else has pleaded guilty. Everybody else that was indicted has pleaded guilty except Eddie Smith. Now these texts would have given us additional information we believe, and I've talked to [co-counsel] Jim Griffin. It might have made the difference in us calling him to the stand or not calling him to the stand. So yes, they're important.' Advertisement Murdaugh is already appealing his conviction, based in large part on accusations of jury tampering by Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill. She was arrested and charged with obstructing justice and misconduct in that incident. She was also charged with perjury in Richland County in relation to the case, after allegedly lying to State Supreme Court Justice Jean Toal during 2024 appellate proceedings. 'We have an appeal based on errors made by the judge during the trial, and of course, the attempt by — or maybe she did — the efforts by the Clerk of Court, Becky Smith, to fix the jury. And that's a huge issue,' said Harpootlian. 'Many of the people we've had look at the appeal believe we have a substantial chance of getting a new trial, just based on the jury tampering.' 13 Defense attorney Dick Harpootlian speaks to the media outside the Colleton County Courthouse after his defendant Alex Murdaugh was sentenced. AP Advertisement 13 Murdaugh is already appealing his conviction, based in large part on accusations of jury tampering by Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill. AP 13 Alex Murdaugh speaks with his legal team before he is sentenced to two consecutive life sentences. AP He said if they do not win a new trial, there is a possibility that they will file a habeas petition seeking to have the conviction vacated on the same grounds. 'The state's brief on the underlying appeal is due Aug. 8,' he said. 'We have up to 30 days to reply. Then the Supreme Court decides whether to have argument, whether to grant it, whether deny it, and that could take months,' he said, adding that if the appeal is granted Murdaugh will get a new trial. Advertisement Harpootlian says he expects the state's high court to have a ruling on the appeal by early next year at the latest. 'And again, there are all kinds of debates about the evidence and how it was allowed in by the trial judge and whether it should have been excluded or allowed in. And those certainly are important. And we think there's several of them, individually, would give us a new trail,' he said. 13 Harpootlian says he expects the state's high court to have a ruling on the appeal by early next year at the latest. Daniel William McKnight 13 Alex Murdaugh arriving at court, flanked by law enforcement. Daniel William McKnight for NY Post 'But more important is a judge, former Chief Justice of Supreme Court, had an evidentiary hearing on Becky Hill's conduct in which she found: A) Becky Hill was not credible, and B) that Becky Hill did attempt to influence jurors to convict Alex Murdoch. She told several of her coworkers that she was writing a book, and it would be better for book sales if Alex was convicted. So we think that, and there is no clear state precedent on whether that's enough, but there's a clear federal precedent that we should get a new trial. So again, I think we should hear something before the end of the year or early next year.' Every morning, the NY POSTcast offers a deep dive into the headlines with the Post's signature mix of politics, business, pop culture, true crime and everything in between. Subscribe here! A retrial would likely look very different, Harpootlian said. With Murdaugh having already pleaded guilty to financial crimes, that aspect would be excluded, narrowing the scope to forensic and factual evidence. The lead attorney believes Murdaugh has a strong defense. 'We had a six-week trial last time because of the financial misconduct. That won't happen again,' Harpootlian said. 'And when you look solely at the forensic evidence, I believe it overwhelmingly proves Alex did not kill Paul and Maggie.' The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, which led the investigation, and Prosecutor Creighton Waters did not return comment requests.
